NAPA RACING PRESS BOX FEATURING MICHAEL WALTRIP
Michigan has been a good track for you.
“It has. We’re heading into Michigan outside the top-35 in owner points. Anything that is worth while is hard. This has definitely been a difficult season for us. I am very confident about what we are taking to Michigan. It is our goal to leave there inside the top 35.
” What I really like about Michigan is it allows the drivers to run wide open, side by side. I just love that and I think most race car drivers want to have the opportunity to go down into the corner and pick a line where somebody is not running and try to make your car go faster. We pulled off a top-10 last year at this race. We were able to do that because I was able to run right up against the fence all day long. Some guys didn’t go that high. It worked for me. It’s a track where you can run any line and have success. It’s like the old baseball saying, “Hit ‘em where they ain’t.” In racing at Michigan, we go where they ain’t. If they are in one line, you pick another one.
“We won our first Nationwide race for MWR at Michigan International Speedway. The car was built behind my house. It is now the team that David Reutimann drives for and they just moved up to second in the championship points standings. The Nationwide team has been together for 10 years. They go out there and out perform the Roush and Hendrick teams. They are solid every week. That just goes to show you about chemistry and what that team knows. They know what each other are thinking and what it means to that car. Reutimann is racing for a championship. That’s what is important to remember because that is what we are trying to get accomplished with the Cup teams. We need more time to build. We have really good people here at MWR. We have good direction. We just need to keep working hard.”
Can you draft at Michigan?
“Drafting does come into play. Any time you have two cars beside each other, the guy in the back can get a tremendous run. I think it is going to be more exaggerated with the new car. They really draft well. I think it will be fun in Michigan. NASCAR also implemented a gear rule a couple of years ago. By doing that, they have taken away a whole lot of the pain that the engines were going through. The gear rule has made more cars finish the races and it has made the competition more even because you can only operate in such a small box.”
There is a rumor that reports MWR has fallen on tough times and may go away. Is that true?
“I fancy myself as being a friend to one of the Web sites that is reporting that. But I have to say that the rumor is probably one of the most ridiculous things I have read on the internet. We are probably on as good of footing financially as anyone in the garage area. We are focused on the future. When you are a new team, a lot of times there is turnover. There is reorganization. That is what is going on at MWR and will continue to happen until we hit our stride. We are not in any peril as being reported. We are very into what we are doing and what we need to do to be successful.”
- NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will attempt to qualify for his 704th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when the 15th event of the 2008 season, the LifeLock 400, is held at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday.
- Waltrip will attempt to start in his 46th Cup race at the two-mile track. His best start is first (June 23, 1991) and best finish is fourth (June 16, 2002) in the NAPA machine. In total, he has two top-five and nine top-10 finishes at Michigan.
- Waltrip has completed 8,353 of 8,888 laps (94%) at the track and has led a total of 15 laps in competition. His average start is 21st and average finish is 20th.
- Waltrip has raced in 11 Nationwide Series events at MIS. He has collected one win, two top-five and six top-10 finishes. He has led 68 laps in Nationwide Series competition at the track.
- Entering this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, Waltrip is 35th in the driver standings and 36th in owner standings. The NAPA team will need to qualify for the LifeLock 400 on time since the No. 55 car is outside the top-35 in owner point standings by just 12 points. A total of 46 cars are entered at MIS. Of the entrants, 11 are go-or-go-home teams. Waltrip will be competing for eight qualifying spots. Drivers Terry Labonte and Bill Elliott are eligible for the past champion’s provisional.
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip Michigan International Speedway Statistics
DATE START FINISH DATE START FINISH
| 8/11/1985 |
31 |
18 |
8/17/1997 |
31 |
22 |
6/15/1986 |
36 |
22 |
6/14/1998 |
24 |
21 |
8/17/1986 |
29 |
32 |
8/16/1998 |
30 |
22 |
6/28/1987 |
15 |
39 |
6/13/1999 |
16 |
15 |
8/16/1987 |
28 |
20 |
8/22/1999 |
20 |
13 |
6/26/1988 |
34 |
28 |
6/11/2000 |
15 |
22 |
8/21/1988 |
28 |
7 |
8/20/2000 |
18 |
21 |
6/25/1989 |
28 |
16 |
6/10/2001 |
35 |
29 |
8/20/1989 |
22 |
31 |
8/19/2001 |
7 |
36 |
6/24/1990 |
16 |
21 |
6/16/2002 |
2 |
4 |
8/19/1990 |
34 |
30 |
8/18/2002 |
3 |
15 |
6/23/1991 |
1 |
34 |
6/15/2003 |
9 |
5 |
8/18/1991 |
21 |
9 |
8/17/2003 |
13 |
7 |
6/21/1992 |
41 |
27 |
6/20/2004 |
19 |
10 |
8/16/1992 |
26 |
22 |
8/22/2004 |
17 |
17 |
6/20/1993 |
10 |
37 |
6/19/2005 |
30 |
7 |
8/15/1993 |
28 |
16 |
8/21/2005 |
24 |
27 |
6/19/1994 |
11 |
8 |
6/18/2006 |
28 |
25 |
8/21/1994 |
10 |
14 |
8/20/2006 |
22 |
23 |
6/18/1995 |
24 |
12 |
6/17/2007 |
18 |
10 |
8/20/1995 |
25 |
11 |
8/21/2007 |
11 |
40 |
6/23/1996 |
20 |
32 |
|
|
|
8/18/1996 |
10 |
25 |
|
|
|
6/15/1997 |
38 |
16 |
|
|
|
Front Tire Changer: Shannon Myers
Front Tire Carrier: Chris Hall
Jackman: Scott King
Rear Tire Carrier: Dwayne Moore
Rear Tire Changer: Andy Thurman
Gas Man: Art Harris
Catch Can: Shawn Soules
LifeLock 400
Event: 15 of 36
Track:Michigan International Speedway
Length: 2.0 mile D-Shaped Oval
Distance: 200 laps/400 miles
Date: Sunday, June 15
Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV:TNT
Radio: MRN
2007 Winner: Carl Edwards
2007 Pole: J.J. Yeley
Television Tidbits
Practice
Fri., June 13 at 11:30 p.m. ET
SPEED
Sat., June 14 at Noon &
1:00 p.m.
SPEED
Sprint Cup Qualifying
Fri., June 13 at 3 p.m. ET
SPEED
This Week in NASCAR
Mon., June 16 at 8 p.m. ET
SPEED
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